I adopted a cat from a shelter two days ago. He's been really cuddly and just lounges around for the most part. However, last night there was an incident where he lunged at me and bit me. Following the attack, he chased after me and growled, and only stopped when my boyfriend came in from outside, startling him. The puncture wounds are pretty intense, and I've been cleaning them and keeping an eye on them. My concern, as irrational as it seems even to me, is about rabies. He was vaccinated on 3/20/13, but I'm wondering, if he had contracted it before getting the vaccine, if the vaccine would prevent him from transmitting it?

I'm sure that this sounds extremely paranoid, but I'd be very appreciative if anyone can share insight on the specifics of something like this.

Thank you for adopting your kitty, and sorry to hear you got bit. I don't see where you are from, in many areas rabies are pretty much non-existant, and may not be any concern for you at all. If you live in an area with rabies, I would phone a vet and ask them that question about the vaccination date. Do keep an eye on the bite, cat bites can get infected very quickly.

Your bite sounds deep and bad, you MUST go to your doctor. Rabies is a concern though rather remote if you are in Canada or the U.S. Far more likely is a raging infection too deep for you to clean yourself. Please go to your doctor. Cat bites are serious because their needle sharp teeth can really penetrate.

Did you go to your doctor? Please tell us you did. A relative of mine got an extremely bad infection in her arm last summer from an untreated cat bite. Cat teeth deposit any bacteria deep into a wound where you cannot, cannot, cannot properly clean it yourself. You most likely need an antibiotic. In many hospitals because cat bites are deep antibiotics are routinely administered for cat bites. Please see you doctor since you say yourself "the puncture wounds are pretty intense."